After lunch, Lock didn't return to the classroom with Kyoka Jiro and the others.
Instead, he headed alone toward the Support Course building at U.A. High School.
For Mei Hatsume, the upcoming U.A. Sports Festival wasn't just a school event—it was a nationwide stage. If she could showcase her "babies" in front of Japan's Pro Heroes and equipment companies, her inventions could spread across the entire country.
When Lock reached the workshop, the door was strangely shut—even though it was lunchtime.
Just as he reached for the handle—
BOOM!!
An explosion erupted from inside.
The shockwave blasted the door open. Thick smoke billowed outward, rushing straight into his face.
"Cough—!"
Lock covered his nose with one hand, squinting through the smoke while waving it away with the other.
Then—
A pink blur shot out of the workshop at high speed.
He didn't move.
"Mei?"
The next second, something soft collided with him, and he was knocked flat onto his back.
Mei Hatsume had crashed straight into him.
The position was… unmistakable.
She landed directly on top of him.
If he had dodged, she would have smashed face-first into the concrete. So instead, he simply let himself become the cushion.
"L-Lock?!"
Mei's eyes widened. She stared down at him blankly for a moment, clearly stunned.
Then she realized she was sitting on him.
She scrambled to get up—but her legs, weak from long hours of nonstop tinkering, betrayed her.
"Plop!"
She lost her balance and fell forward again.
Now their faces were only inches apart.
Four eyes met.
A strand of pink hair fell across Lock's face, tickling his cheek. He could feel her warm, slightly hurried breath against his skin.
Mei might be obsessed with inventions, but she wasn't clueless.
Her face flushed bright red in an instant—like molten lava bursting from a volcano.
"O-Okay. Relax."
Lock cleared his throat, sitting up and helping her kneel properly before steadying her on her feet.
Then he smoothly changed the subject.
"So… another explosion?"
"Th-that's…"
Mei avoided his gaze, clearly embarrassed.
Before she could respond, another figure emerged from the smoke-filled workshop.
"HATSUME!"
The deep voice echoed through the hallway.
It was Power Loader, the Support Course instructor, covered in soot but otherwise unharmed.
"I've told you already! You're not ready to be building high-risk equipment yet!"
His frustration made the cause obvious.
"Good afternoon, Power Loader-sensei," Lock greeted politely.
Power Loader paused, slightly surprised by Lock's presence. His expression softened a little.
Mei quickly seized the chance to defend herself.
"Sensei, you know the U.A. Sports Festival is coming up! It's a nationally broadcast event!"
"I know."
"And because of that, I have to work even harder! I need to sell all my babies!"
Her eyes sparkled as she spread her arms dramatically, already imagining her inventions being used by Pro Heroes across Japan.
Power Loader sighed helplessly.
After all, this was the entire purpose of the Support Course—designing and spreading innovative support items.
"Just… try not to cause explosions that shake the entire building," he muttered. Then he glanced meaningfully at Lock before turning and heading back into the workshop.
Soon, only the two of them remained in the hallway.
"Lock! I was actually looking for you, too!"
Mei's earlier embarrassment faded as quickly as it had appeared.
"Use my babies at the Sports Festival! Show them off properly!"
Lock scratched the back of his head.
"I'm afraid that won't work."
"Why not?!"
"I'm in the Hero Course. According to the rules, only Support Course students can freely use the items they personally developed during the Sports Festival."
He lightly flicked her forehead.
"You're so busy inventing things that you forgot the rules."
"Ah… right."
Her expression stiffened.
It was true. To maintain fairness, Hero Course students couldn't use customized support gear during the Sports Festival—only standard sports uniforms unless otherwise permitted.
Ironically, thanks to Lock's earlier help, the high-speed running boots she'd designed had already been licensed to multiple equipment manufacturers. The patent royalties alone had made her surprisingly wealthy.
But Mei's ambition went far beyond money.
She wanted her inventions used by Pro Heroes all over Japan.
"It's okay," Lock said calmly. "Then rely on yourself. Make it to the final one-on-one match—and advertise your babies there."
The last event of the U.A. Sports Festival was always a one-on-one tournament.
That was where attention peaked.
If she reached the later rounds, every camera in the country would be focused on her.
"In the end, the spotlight always shines brightest in the finals," Lock added.
Mei hesitated.
"But… it feels so difficult."
There were over forty Hero Course students between Class 1-A and 1-B—many of them combat specialists.
She was an inventor.
Not a frontline fighter.
She wasn't even confident she could make it past the first round.
Lock placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You can do it."
His tone was steady, certain.
She had already learned magic under his guidance. Combined with her inventions, advancing wasn't impossible.
Mei blinked.
Then her eyes lit up again.
"Yeah! Let's both do our best! I'll successfully promote my babies—and you'll win the Sports Festival championship!"
Lock gave a helpless shrug.
"Ah… about that."
"…Eh?"
"I probably won't be able to win the Sports Festival championship."
"EH?!"
---
A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San